Innovate Niagara has partnered with the Niagara River Lions of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) becoming an integral part of the Life After Basketball (LAB) program.
The LAB initiative, introduced during the 2020 Summer Series, aims to set River Lions players up for success off the court, to learn valuable life skills as they navigate their post-basketball career. As the Regional Innovation Centre for Niagara, Innovate Niagara delivers services and programs to help entrepreneurs start, grow, and succeed. As part of the partnership, Innovate Niagara will host a “3-pointer webinar series” for players interested in entrepreneurship.
“Innovate Niagara’s mission is to help entrepreneurs in Niagara start, grow and succeed. Our 3-pointer webinar series will introduce entrepreneurial-minded players to Niagara’s robust support system available to entrepreneurs and will outline the important steps to building a business with a strong foundation,” said Jeff Chesebrough, CEO for Innovate Niagara. “We are pleased to partner with the Niagara River Lions; its LAB program is innovative and great for our community.”
“Our goal as an organization has always been to become the preeminent destination for Canadian players playing around the world to come home, develop their game, and further their basketball career. With the LAB Program, we are taking it one step further to assist players and provide them with the resources to transition to life after basketball,” said Michelle Biskup, Vice President of Operations for the team. “Partnering with Innovate Niagara is a natural fit that will greatly benefit our players.”
The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community.
About Innovate Niagara
Innovate Niagara supports innovative entrepreneurs and companies from a variety of industries start, grow and succeed. We help companies at any stage of growth bring their products to market through dedicated one-on-one mentorship, market intelligence, specialized workshops and events, and access to our trusted network. Innovate Niagara’s tech incubator is also home to some of Niagara’s most innovative tech companies.
Innovate Niagara Media Contact: Catherine Rice, Outreach and Communications | Email
River Lions Media Contact: Michelle Biskup, Vice President, Operations | Email